Kaibyaku Muyo!
by Kishi
Summary: A sequel to Jikoken'o Muyo! In the wake of the Siege of Jurai, a new threat by an old enemy makes new enemies of old friends....
1. Default Chapter

Kishi: I'm just so bereft of any real creativity that I had to do this.  
  
***  
  
Kaibyaku Muyo!  
  
Chapter 1  
  
***  
  
Another day, another field. As Tenchi Masaki churned the dark earth with his hoe, the monotony of his task struck him with a wave of familiarity. His life could hardly have been called normal in the face of events that led to the arrival of all those women in his life. But waking up every morning with servants to cater to his needs, to look up to the sky and see two moons, to walk into crowded rooms and see the people part brought a strange unreal feeling to his everyday life.  
  
Perhaps that was why, he reflected, he had volunteered so readily for the daunting task of recovering the palace. He'd had enough 'Koutaishi' Tenchi this and 'Koutaishi' Tenchi that. Out here, he was just Tenchi again.  
  
As well, the task of recovering the palace was easier and less complicated than some sort of drawn-out military campaign. At least spreading fertilizer and cultivating dirt was something he was familiar with.  
  
Pausing in his task, he took a moment to lean on the hoe, his eyes looking reflectively over the ruinous capital. Admittedly, it was in better shape than it had been when he had arrived on Jurai. Buildings near the palace, as well as the walls, were almost completely repaired. Fires were no longer burning ceaselessly in the structures of the capitol. Rubble no longer lined the streets. Transports had started flying through the air again, and people were walking around without fear again.  
  
Such change in only three Earth weeks. Tenchi couldn't help but be glad for the summer break.  
  
He was about to turn back to his work when he saw a familiar figure making her way toward him. Her return home hadn't changed her habit of wearing semi-normal kimono; today's was black, with pink around the edges that drew patterns into the darkness. Her hair was once again in the two tails, as was Juraian style to be, and the sun gave an interesting sheen to the violet follicles. The cane she was forced to use to walk around from place to place did not impede her progress.  
  
Still, Tenchi couldn't help but feel concerned. "Are you sure you should be out today?" he called.  
  
"The doctors recommended it, Tenchi-sama," replied Aeka. "Besides, I wanted to see what home looks like now that it doesn't have the Daemonic infesting it."  
  
"Yeah, it's quite a view from here," said Tenchi. He went back to applying his hoe to turning dirt for a short time, as Aeka turned her ruby gaze over the capitol.  
  
"Ano... Tenchi-sama," began Aeka, "there's something I meant to ask you."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"Yes." She looked down to the ground for a second, then looked back to his eyes and said, "I'd like to invite you to dinner."  
  
"Say what?" spluttered Tenchi.  
  
"Or rather," she said, blushing at the implied meaning, "my father would like to invite you. There appears to be a matter of state that he'd like to discuss with you. Fairly secret, I think; neither mother nor Funaho-obasan are talking. Ah, in any case, he wants to discuss it with you tonight."  
  
"Well," mused Tenchi, "I don't think I'll have anything else going."  
  
Aeka smiled graciously. "Why, thank you, Tenchi-sama. I shall see you tonight then!" With that, she seemed to walk with what seemed to be just the slightest spring to her limping steps.  
  
Tenchi smiled after her for a second, pondering how she'd grown in such a short amount of time. It seemed almost ludicrous to believe it could be, and yet there she was. He was about to go back to hoeing when a voice called out, "Koutaishi!"  
  
Tenchi turned to see one of the palace servants running towards him, dressed in the green-and-white of the palace staff. "Koutaishi," she finally said upon arrival, "Why are you performing your task in such a menial manner?"  
  
"Because this is what I choose?" asked Tenchi, wondering if he'd missed some sort of article of etiquette.  
  
She looked at him for a moment, then snapped her fingers. "Of course! My lord is unaware of the farming machines at our disposal." Her gaze directed Tenchi to look, and he beheld a large floating vehicle, shaped vaguely like a boat pulling behind it a mass quantity of plow-like apparatuses.  
  
"I, uh, I see," stammered Tenchi.  
  
"If my Lord wished to learn the use of such things," said the servant, "we could see you taught their use."  
  
"I appreciate that," said Tenchi, scratching the back of his head self-consciously. "But I think I'll decline." The servant bowed and walked away. After all, he mused to himself, it feels good to hold something other than a sword. Tenchiken bounced against his leg as he turned back to his work.  
  
***  
  
Kyrin had changed. It was debatable as to whether he knew it himself or not, but those who knew him saw that his behavior had altered somehow. Before, he had seemed... well, somehow devoid. He had been, by turns, brooding and blissful, good at seemingly anything, and full of an almost fake modesty. He'd been too perfect to be real.  
  
As Ryoko watched this new Kyrin, dressed in a slightly tanned gi, moving through his bare-hand forms, she knew that his focus only appeared to be wholly on his moves. She knew she had probably been felt out already, which meant either he didn't care or he was showing off for her benefit. There was no telling with him anymore.  
  
The new Kyrin, forged in the absence of Kain, was a man of nigh-unshakeable calm. His religious fervor, while neither dimmed nor cooled, had come under control like wind in a tunnel - a force to be reckoned with, but one that didn't show itself unless there was a cause. He didn't show a whole lot of anything, really. It was always a last second flash of the eyes that gave things away - anger, sadness, joy, happiness, all possessing their own slightly different shine.  
  
She wasn't even a tenth of an inch closer to figuring any of them out, by her reckoning, but since he had attained calm she hadn't been able to figure a whole lot of anything out about him.  
  
But why had he been so different before? Had it been Kain, really? Or had Kyrin just changed for some reason she couldn't fathom? Or was he hiding something?  
  
Well, there was only one way to find out.  
  
Ryoko flew at him from her spot behind him. At the last second, though, Kyrin turned, knelt as she began to pass over him, and slammed his wrist into her stomach. She flipped off the impact and landed behind him.  
  
He turned and his eyes glimmered. "Ryoko?" he asked, before dodging a punch to the right. He ducked a slash of her left hand and stepped in, slamming a fist into her stomach again, this time with two fingers held forward resembling a scorpion's sting. She stepped back while he stood up again.  
  
"So," he said, his voice infuriatingly nonchalant, "trying to have a little fun today, are we?"  
  
"It got boring around here, and Tenchi wouldn't like it if I went around blowing stuff up around here again," she replied. She grinned and flew forward again. Kyrin sidestepped, hooking her throat in his left hand. As her momentum shifted, he swept her foot and shoved her head down to the floor. She hit making a loud thump, and teleported just as Kyrin's fist crashed down where her ribcage was. The blow splintered the floorboards, and he unintentionally got his fist caught in the floor.  
  
He looked around as he struggled to remove his hand. Suddenly, a foot stomped on his head, slamming his head to the floor. He wrenched his hand free of the floor and rolled, finally coming up a few feet left of where he'd come from. Only she'd disappeared again.  
  
Kyrin reached out with his senses, trying to find Ryoko, and felt her to the left. He turned, only she wasn't there, she was to the right, only she wasn't, she was to the left, no she wasn't-  
  
The fact was, she was both. Ryoko appeared at both sides, one of her bearing fists on fire, the other having sprung a sword. Kyrin rolled forward and away, as the Ryoko on the right chopped, taking off the left's hand. As she flew forward, she chopped again. Kyrin made a circular step, circumventing the blade and jabbed his elbow into the square of her chest.  
  
The other copy appeared and launched a series of punches at him. He blocked and deflected half of the strikes, with a few finding good marks every now and again. He responded by kicking in such a way that it was more of a stomp, sending her flying back. The two copies looked at each other and nodded, then reformed into one being again.  
  
"Well, you're still a good fighter, no doubts," said Ryoko.  
  
"You had doubts?" he asked, just a hint of amusement underneath the calm.  
  
"I just wanted to make sure you weren't slacking off. Just because Kain's gone is no reason to lose track of your training."  
  
"Yes, mother."  
  
She turned around to leave, calling back as she walked out, "Don't forget to clean your room sometime today!"  
  
"Yes mother," he called back.  
  
As she walked down the hallway, Ryoko reflected on the fight. His reflexes are still up, she thought, and his skills themselves haven't gone down at all. But his moves... something didn't feel right about them. She snapped her fingers in comprehension. He never attacked me!  
  
So, she summed up, pure defense, lack of any real strength... what does it mean? She thought it through. Maybe some sort of concern? But why should he worry about hurting me? That table's supposed to be turned. Lack of enthusiasm? No, can't be, I'm his crush for chrissakes! What then?  
  
She sighed. She'd tried to read a person the best way she knew how, and come away just as blank as before. She swore.  
  
***  
  
The humming power of machinery that had outlasted millennia was a sound that was often comforting to Washyuu. That was why she chose this lab, as opposed to utilizing the power afforded to her as a megami. After having herself nearly wiped from existence, and then having her view of the universe tipped upside down, gripped by the feet and shaken, comfort was really nice.  
  
An alert in the upper-right portion of her hollow screen announced the presence of one who requested access to the lab. Washyuu silently lamented over the distance of the Jurai Door as she hopped down from her cushion and made quick strides, through the nursery and through sections of the lab with machines that towered higher than un-enhanced eyes could see. She finally arrived at a polished wooden door with detailed woodwork decorating the frame. She pressed a pad next to the door and it opened, revealing an awkwardly tall youth who appeared to be in his late teens. His skin appeared to have had minimal contact with solar radiation, and the hair on his head could have been mistaken for some form of straw piling. Seeing as she was standing to the side, he shambled in, looking about dazedly.  
  
"So, this is her place," he said, bemusedly. "Hm, fascinating... how'd she keep it so stable?" He lapsed into muttering, his dark brown eyes looking and looking, and he unconsciously taking a thinker's pose.  
  
"Hello up there!"  
  
The youth looked down at her, blinking. "Oh, I'm sorry. I, ah, I was looking for Washyuu-sensei?" His eyes narrowed for a second, and then he nodded. "Yes, I was."  
  
"Found her, kiddo," she replied. "What can I do for ya?"  
  
He looked at her, just mildly skeptical, then said, "My name is Makari Senbo. The Academy sent me as part of the internship program."  
  
"Ah, yeah, I remember." She'd been inclined towards the idea on a whim, deciding that it'd be good for once in a while, for the sheer sake of companionship.  
  
"Ano," he said, looking around, "where is she?"  
  
How interesting. An academician with no grip on the obvious. She grinned as she replied, "I'm she, Senbo. It's good to meet you. There're a few rules you need to know before working with me, though."  
  
He smiled as he shook her hand. "No problem. It is an honor working with you, Washyuu-sen-" he was cut off by the sound of a high-charge particle emitter powering up. He looked up to see the barrel suddenly pressed to his forehead.  
  
"First rule," said Washyuu as she grinned. "Thou shalt address me as Washyuu-chan."  
  
He stared at the barrel for a moment, blinking rapidly, then finished, "-chan."  
  
"Good." They walked back along the corridor, Washyuu's usual robes making hardly any noise as her hair almost swept along the floor. Senbo simply strolled along, his eyes focusing on some far away point, while his tunic and pants struggled to stay atop his thin frame.  
  
"So, what's your specialty?"  
  
"... Sorry, what?"  
  
"I asked, what's your specialty?"  
  
"I'm currently majoring in Inter-dimensional physics."  
  
"Are you now? In that case, you'll be able to help me with my latest dilemma." They finally returned to the nursery, and Washyuu sat down on the floating cushion.  
  
"My current pet project," she said, "is the investigation of the mass deployment of sub-space portals and how it may be applied."  
  
He stared at her. "You're not attempting some sort of hostile takeover, are you?"  
  
"Oh please, no," she replied. "I'm taking this up since I'm curious how the enemy in the last 'war' managed to get so many troops all over the place."  
  
"Did they come from subspace itself?"  
  
"They don't appear to have. There aren't enough distortions in the sub-space space-time continuums to account for their appearance in this Plane."  
  
"Are you telling me that they came from someplace else?"  
  
"Like I said, I'm only calling it as it appears."  
  
Senbo's eyes lit up. "Another dimension... that would be the discovery of a lifetime."  
  
"That's kinda what I'm shooting for," said Washyuu. "Now, I have some data recorded of the battle, including the sub-space portals. If you don't mind, I want you to go to work using the data to trace their exact origin point. Perhaps that way, we can find the exact dimension they came from." She pulled up a holographic computer interface and set Senbo to his task.  
  
While the sound of typing filled the room, Washyuu logged her computer on to some of the news networks. Prevalent these days had been news of the re-armament campaign initiated by Azusa. It was mostly speculation, however, what with the figures being kept secret.  
  
Maybe it's for the best that the press has no idea how far this thing's going, she thought to herself. The truth of the matter was that Azusa was building massive fleets of ships, as well as pushing his researchers to develop new weapons and energy management methods for Wings. He had also stepped up recruiting for the armed forces just a bit. The Jurai Imperial Guard hadn't taken as many losses as the fleet, but with so many new ships, military reserves were going to dry up awfully quick.  
  
Washyuu watched a recorded interview as a representative of the Emperor attempted to defend their actions. "The fact is that in the last war, we learned a very important lesson," he said. "Our enemy taught us that we simply were not strong enough. We have to be ready to defend our territory and our people from our enemies at any time."  
  
"What enemies?" asked the interviewer. "All the other nations have done so far is offer the Jurai Empire financial aid and support."  
  
"This enemy wasn't a nation, though," replied the rep. "It was a malicious force that sought our complete annihilation. We never saw it coming. We may not be able to see it coming the next time either, if there is one, but we must be ready."  
  
"Oh, the cost of vigilance," she sighed to herself. If only Azusa had seen that his campaign had started an arms race all over the galaxy. The Galaxy Police, in particular, seemed to be bristling in light of the revelation, but so far there was peace.  
  
Speaking of peace, Washyuu absently noted that Dareial, Kyrin's home planet, was finally in a semblance of peace after years of disputes following the end of the Clan Wars. A planet of warriors at peace, she mused. I wonder what they'll do, with no war? Become mercenaries? Loan their soldiers? A force such as theirs would definitely be able to turn tides in nearly any situation.  
  
And wouldn't it just be perfect, she mused, if her son showed up in the ranks? After all, Shino, after the war, had taken some of the key officers of the Jenshin, as well as their crews and ships, and disappeared. She could have found him inside a minute, however Genjo had told her that he didn't want to be found.  
  
"It's not like you did something to drive him off," he had told her. "Unfortunately, father has a guilty conscience over his actions prior to 'seeing the light.' He's going to go clean up the Jenshin and then... well, he didn't tell me what he planned after." Which was all right with her. She knew she could find him again. It brought comfort.  
  
Genjo, meanwhile, had signed up with Lady Funaho's spy network. He was currently gone on some sort of scouting mission. Which, again, was all right with her. After all, just because he reported to Funaho didn't mean he didn't report to herself as well.  
  
"It's perfectly reasonable," she said to herself. "It's just the life of a genius."  
  
"Sorry, did you say something, Washyuu-sen-"  
  
"Now Senbo," she said sweetly, pulling a bazooka out of sub-space, "what did I tell you to call me?"  
  
***  
  
Dinner. A time of peace and relaxation, when one can go to one's family and relax, enjoying the company of family and friends.  
  
From the moment Tenchi entered the room, he was as nervous as a high-strung cat. As he strode forward to the table, he couldn't help but wonder if he, in his black robes and the orange sash, was properly dressed. After all, this place was almost as formal in some ways as Japan was, and this was one of those ways.  
  
As he walked up to the table, Aeka looked up at him and gave him a reassuring smile. As he knelt next to her, she said, "I don't believe he's going to test you again, if that is what you're worried about."  
  
"Good. That would be just what I need." Still, it was some form of relief. Then he noticed the food. "This smells about as good as Sasami-chan's cooking," he said.  
  
"It should," replied Aeka. "It is." At his incredulous look, she shrugged. "She insisted."  
  
The aforementioned cook scurried in, carrying a dish loaded with what appeared to be some sort of Juraian noodle dish. "Oh, Tenchi!" she said, smiling as she placed the dish.  
  
"Hello again," he said, grinning back. "Sorry I haven't been around too much. How've you been?"  
  
"Fine! I do miss Earth, but it's great to be home!" She buzzed back into the kitchen, apparently to turn off ovens and other cooking things. However, as she walked out, they walked in.  
  
Both Aeka and Tenchi stood and bowed as Azusa and his wives walked in. They bowed back, and then all knelt at the table. As soon as Sasami came in and knelt, the rallying cry of "Itadakimasu!" was raised and the battle to rid the world of Sasami's dishes was joined.  
  
"Ah," sighed Misaki contentedly. "It's been far too long since we had some of your cooking, Sasami-chan."  
  
"Indeed. Our cooks could stand to learn a thing or two from you," said Azusa, his deep voice adding more gravity to the statement than was necessary.  
  
"Honestly," Sasami said shyly. "I'm not that good."   
  
"No," said Tenchi, "you're better."  
  
There was an almost uncomfortable silence before Azusa broke it by grinning and saying, "Well said, my boy."  
  
Tenchi smiled in a relieved fashion and they all continued eating until the food was gone. When Sasami stood to take the dishes, Azusa made a sitting motion. "Please stay," he said. "At this rate, you're going to outshine the servants and then where'll we be? Besides, what I have to say involves you as well."  
  
As she knelt back down, he looked at Tenchi straight in the eye, and asked, "What do you think of Jurai?"  
  
Taken aback, Tenchi thought quickly. "It's a very nice place that doesn't seem too different from Earth."  
  
"Oh please," said Azusa. "Doesn't it feel strange to be constantly addressed as Koutaishi?"  
  
"Yes, Sire, it does."  
  
"Most discomfiting, isn't it?"  
  
"Yes, Sire, it is."  
  
"Don't constantly agree with me. Is it or not?"  
  
"Yeah, it bothers me a lot," said Tenchi. "Everyone acts like I'm some sort of god or something. It's annoying."  
  
"Good. Then you wouldn't mind going back to Earth?"  
  
"Well, no... but aren't my efforts needed here?"  
  
"Tenchi, you and your efforts don't add up to enough to justify your continued work. I am hereby ordering you off of that job and to another." As Tenchi stared, his jaw growing heavier, Azusa said, "As of midnight, tonight, you are sworn to the defense of Aeka and Sasami Jurai. Your orders are to return with them to Earth and stay until such time as I feel need to call you back."  
  
"Ano... Sire," said Tenchi, "I don't mind being a guard, but why Earth? Shouldn't we be sent to a fortress or something?"  
  
"It would be too conspicuous," said Funaho, "to send them to such a place. There'd be too much press coverage. Earth, however, is so unimportant, so out of the way, that it's the perfect place to send you all."  
  
"You hear that, Aeka?" asked Sasami. "We get to go back to Earth again!"  
  
"Father," said Aeka, "I don't object to being sent back. But why are you sending us?"  
  
"As it stands now," said Azusa, "we're very vulnerable. We don't have any apparent enemies, but that leaves plenty of room for some under-handed dealings."  
  
"Have you no faith in the arts we've learned?"  
  
"That's not the issue," he replied. "I want to see you both safe. Tenchi and Yosho are both the people to do it."  
  
"What about the others?" asked Sasami.  
  
"Well, if you want them along, sweetie, they can come," said Misaki.  
  
"So, what say you, Tenchi?" asked Azusa.  
  
He was silent for just a moment, but it was but a moment. "I'll do it."  
  
Azusa smiled beneficently. "Good man, Tenchi. Good man."  
  
"We're going to have to let Mihoshi and Kiyone know, then."  
  
"Already done," said Funaho. "The GP pledged their support for escort service. Their finest, or so they say."  
  
***  
  
"So tell me sir," said the aide as the Chief looked out into the stars. "We promised our finest, so why are we sending those two?"  
  
"The princesses will have an easier time befriending them than if we had sent strangers," replied the Chief. "And friends confide secrets more easily."  
  
"Are you trying to get some sort of espionage data from them or something?"  
  
"No," said the Chief, "but this re-armament campaign set up by the Emperor of Jurai is most disconcerting. It appears to be fueled by some sort of paranoia that may be a mask for ambition of his own." He sighed.  
  
"Do you think a war is going to try and start again?"  
  
"I certainly hope not. But maybe this way, by having constant tabs on him, we can figure out what he's doing before he does."  
  
"I see." They both stared at the retreating engines of the Yagami.  
  
***  
  
Achika stiffened.  
  
"What's the matter?" asked Nobuyuki, coming up behind her. They were standing out on a balcony of the Palace. The sun had just gone down, and the orange skies were rapidly fading into darkness. Stars were popping into existence, with the moons shining in parody of the sun.  
  
"Remember, back when I was sick and sensitive, how I could feel it when the weather changed?"  
  
"Yup," he said, playing with a strand of her hair.  
  
"I just got that feeling again. You know, when the skies are supposed to start darkening?"  
  
"That's weird," he said. "There aren't any storms scheduled for today."  
  
"I know. That's the weird part," she said, sighing as she leaned into him. She stared up at the moons as she whispered, "But that doesn't change the truth. A storm is coming."  
  
***  
  
::the author is sitting in one of the higher branches of the Palace, reading The Prince::  
  
Kishi: Well, it's me again. Hello!  
  
::no answer, except for the opening symphony of crickets::  
  
Kishi: Huh. Well, see, you'd be seeing something new and different from me, except that, well, my muse told me to do this. It told this to me in a very indirect way, really. All it did was cut off my inspiration for anything else. Really. Maybe you'll see something new from me, and maybe you won't. I honestly don't know.  
  
::stands up::  
  
Kishi: In any case, please enjoy this attempt to write a sequel!  
  
::bows, miscalculates his balance, and falls::  
  
Tenchi Muyo and all related paraphernalia are copyrighted to Masaki Kojishima, and distributed by AIC and Pioneer.  
  
The only things that are mine are those things that I perceive as original, and thusly are mine. If you recognize an idea that you came up with first, all credit goes to you.  
  
You can contact me at: kirisutono_kishi@robofan.com. 


	2. Chapter 2

Kishi: Peace is a fine thing, marred only by one fact: it doesn't last.

***

Kaibyaku Muyo!

Chapter 2

***

            The day was shaping up to be a good one.  The sun shone in the mid-morning sky, lending the sky its bright blue, dwelling place of the clouds.  Tenchi was always taken a bit aback by how similar the skies of Earth and Jurai were.  He would find himself gazing up, then look back to the ground expecting the hills of Okayama.

            But very soon, they _would_ be those familiar hills.

            As he walked through the docks with his bag over his shoulder, a sense of relief came over him.  Soon, very soon, he'd be where he belonged.  No more servants, no more awed whispers, no more cowed glances.  It'd be lecherous classmates, derisive glares and shouts of challenge.  _Home, sweet home_, he mused to himself.

            He finally arrived at dock 19, with royal transport waiting.  The ship, a relatively small tear-shaped living unit surrounded by tri-foil engines, floated above the ground, stairs leading up to it.

            It appeared that he'd arrived just in time to say good-bye.  There were Mom and Dad, Dad straining beneath a pile of their collective luggage and Mom with a telltale expression suggesting that she wasn't sure whether she should be flattered or worried over Dad's back.

            There were Sasami and Aeka hugging their mothers and father good-bye.  Aeka, he noticed, seemed somehow eager to be anywhere but in the bear-hug grip of Misaki.  As she finally pulled away and made one last bow, Tenchi stepped forward to say his good-byes.

            First, Funaho wrapped her arms around him.  He did the same as she said in his ear, "Be strong.  Be brave.  They need you to be."

            "I will," he replied as he stood back.

            Then came Azusa, who clapped his right shoulder.  As Tenchi awkwardly responded in kind, Azusa said, "You're on your honor to guard two of my most precious treasures.  Lose them, and I will suggest you jump off a cliff, for your fate that way will be easier to bear than what I would treat you to."

            "Yes, milord," said Tenchi.  As he moved on, he couldn't help but notice the slightest glint of Azusa's eyes.

            Suddenly, though, as he felt the breath crushed from his lungs, any sort of significance in the Emperor's eyes escaped him.  "Come back soon!" exclaimed Misaki as she gripped him with all her might.

            "Ha… ha… hai," he managed to gasp out before being set down on the ground.  As he remembered how to work his lungs he stumbled back a step and picked up the pack that had fallen to the ground.

            "Honestly," muttered his mother, dressed in a simple white dress with red straight-line patterns along the bottom edge.  "Both my men are desperate to get hurt.  I don't get it at all."

            "Really, dear," said Nobuyuki, his jacket and pants hanging off his recently leaned frame, "all we're trying to do is impress you.  It's your fault, you know."

            "Pshaw!" she said.  Tenchi missed her continuation as they stepped into the ship.  He turned around and gave the rulers of Jurai one last wave before stepping aboard.

            Within minutes, the ship had cleared the atmosphere.  As he wandered the corridors of the ship, Tenchi came upon a viewing deck.  Sasami sat in a seat, staring at the sphere of her planet.  She sighed wistfully, unaware of his presence.

            "Sasami?"

            She turned to look at him, and her expression immediately changed to a smile.  "Oh, hi, Tenchi!"

            "Are you ok?"

            "Well, yeah, I'm just…." She saw the concern in his eyes and sighed.  "I can't believe it," she said.  "I haven't been gone but a few minutes and I already miss them."

            "There's nothing wrong with that," he said.  "But you're gonna see them again.  Really.  I mean, they're gonna come back on their own eventually."

            "Yeah, I know," she said, smiling genuinely.

*

            On Jurai, the royal family that remained stared after the shrinking speck of ship that disappeared into the blue.

            Misaki sighed.  "Well, I guess that's that," she said.  "Now to go back and rule the empire."

            "Indeed," nodded Azusa thoughtfully as he and the others turned to walk away.  As the dockworkers moved into the area, one of them passed suspiciously close to Funaho.  He dropped something into Funaho's hand, whereupon she swiftly drew it into the folds of her robes.  They continued walking in their respective directions, neither acknowledging each other.

***

            The Galaxy Police Headquarters was incredibly self-sufficient.  Built to stand wartime assaults and hold the largest force of Galaxy Police anywhere, it was a suitably large structure, seemingly built of silver crescents that had collided and deemed it fit to stay together.  This station was a city in space, creating its own oxygen, reproducing its own food supply, and catering to the needs of up to 10,000 individuals at a time.

            In the headquarters there existed an arboretum, filled with samples of trees and plants from every world inside of 500 light years.  Passing through was a man dressed in the robes of his office, his blonde loosely tailed hair falling down just past his shoulder.  His sky blue eyes wandered over the greenery, passing them to the large window that offered a view of the darkness.  His lips twitched in a grimace, for he saw with the darkness his own reflection.

            He couldn't help his dark mood, though.  Thoughts of war always made him that way.

            _I_, he declared to anyone who could hear thoughts, _am the biggest hypocrite.  Here I am, wishing for peace, and I sit and stare every day at the stars, waiting for peace to undo itself._

            The problem with peace, he'd decided, was that it was a contradiction.  Peace was brought into being by conflict, and peace always led back to conflict.  Unfortunately, anyone who read the news could see that conflict was returning again, and once again, someone would have to use force to create peace.

            He absolutely loathed that it had to be him.  He could and did sympathize with the Jurai Emperor.  Having one's home planet invaded was always cause for paranoia like this, but the Emperor's moves were becoming too aggressive.  All this arms building was excessive, and the projected totals according to GP analysts pointed to a significantly larger force.  Unfortunately, with little in the way of opposing nations, such a force would be able to secure Jurai's ability to expand its borders and take more planets.  Colonization of uninhabited planets would only be the beginning.

            So of course, the Galaxy Police would have to be ready to counter his moves.  He had already authorized the increased patrols on Juraian border areas, as well as placing saboteurs in the industrial organism of Jurai.  Hopefully, if they made any aggressive moves, the patrols would check them and the saboteurs would cripple them to the point that they would halt.  Then peace would come.

            If that weren't enough, he still had one last trump to play.

            Grand Marshal Kuramitsu sighed as he continued his walk.  _Oh, that these days should be mine_, he thought to himself.  A janitor swept in the background.

***

            As the Yagami lazily propelled through space, Kiyone once again praised the higher powers for the invention of autopilot.  She'd simply gone out to hold a conference with nature, and when she returned, lo, Mihoshi asleep at the wheel.  Still, it wasn't as though she blamed Mihoshi.  It had been a long time since they'd gotten any real sleep.

            On the other hand, with Mihoshi spacing out periodically and with her thoughts acting so strangely, perhaps it was best that Kiyone left her alone.

            Maybe Kamidake was part of the problem.  Up until they'd left Jurai, she had become more and more needful of his attentions.  Kamidake, for his part, hadn't exactly gone to pains to stop her.  They hadn't done anything at all romantically, but Kiyone had the distinct feeling that'd have changed if they stayed.

            Besides, she had her own problems to deal with – incarnate in the form of the Knight Azaka.  When they had parted from each other, for some odd reason, he seemed somehow… reluctant, to let her go.  Oh, he had restrained himself before he could say anything, but a strangely pained look had passed over his eyes when she finally said good-bye.

            How could he have known that this momentary drop of the mask showed a reflection of how she felt?  Hers was a loneliness that stretched back almost to the very beginning of her police career.  Nobody had expected her to do quite so well in the academy, and her concentration on the task of passing had driven off all would-be suitors, driven off anyone who could fill the loneliness inside.

            She had reached the conclusion, in those days, that it was obviously because she wasn't smart enough to be considered a worthy catch.  She blew away the midterms, aced the finals, and had hoped that somehow, her efforts would attain the attentions – and, hopefully, the affections – of some tall, dark academy senior, with serious eyes and a knack for knowing just exactly what she was thinking.

            She sat back in the chair and sighed.  Had she ever been that naïve?

***

A major in Inter-Dimensional Physics was truly a prerequisite for this project, decided Senbo.  Never mind Washyuu-sensei's eccentricities, this was hard enough.

The idea behind their latest plan was to run a series of 'suggestions' through the computer to work its machinations on subspace; by doing so, they were hoping they could trick subspace into performing by indirectly 'programming' their will into it.  Unfortunately, the 'suggestions' required a lot of math, and although he had chosen it has his major, Senbo had a distinctive disdain for anything that bore even the slightest arithmetic symbol.

It was the sheer obstinacy of the math, he decided.  This latest equation was requiring an odd trick to balance properly.

"Washyuu-chan, I think there's something wrong with the math here."

"Really?  Let's have a look-see," she said, pulling up his mathematical formulae on her screen.  She gave it a long hard stare and finally made a pronouncement.

"I don't see what the problem is."

Senbo wanted to try to sound credulous.  "Don't see it?  The equation doesn't balance properly!"

"Why not?"

"All these numbers," said Senbo, "represent a wide array of commands.  The equation on one side represents the command in total, and the other side represents the result.  In effect, one side represents the command, say, 'Let there be light,' and the other represents 'Light,' or the potential for 'Light' to exist.  However, we need one last number to represent the catalyst that'll turn the potential energy into light and heat – 'Light.'  However, to input the number on either side would cause an imbalance, causing the equation to break down.  It can't be added to both sides because such is impossible, since the number would then represent an intrinsic force that connects both the command and the potential energy."

"In short," said Washyuu, "the number would signify a connection that, according to our understanding, can't exist."

"Exactly."

"But is it so impossible?"

"If that were so, it would mean that we are all connected, part of something bigger than ourselves."

"Well, let's think theoretically.  Supposing that the universe was, in fact, created, and suppose that there was some sort of sentient reasoning force behind it.  Is such a connection impossible then?"

Senbo thought about it for a moment.  Thoughts of the megami theology raced around in his head, of the trinity of Love, Wisdom, and Hope.  He thought of the wars that had been carried out in their names, and all the deeds both good and evil done in their names.

"Nature follows a very strict logic," he said, finally.  "The very idea of the existence of such beings is possible, but their reputed interventions in the affairs of man are illogical, and they being part of nature cannot act illogically.  Since there is no other evidence, they cannot be proven to be in existence, and that's good enough for me."

***

"I'd like to thank you again for taking me back home."

"It's nothing," said Ryoko with a grin.  "I mean, it's what friends do, right?"

Kyrin nodded, his own slight upturn of the lips response enough.

Ryo-Oh-Ki meowed in affirmation.  The skies were blue, the grass was a healthy green, and the clouds were moving along as they were supposed to be.  Around them, the spaceport docks bustled with activity.  Cargo modules of all sizes were constantly being run either towards a ship or towards a building, and while not hectic the air held a note of expected efficiency.

Ryoko sighed, dressed as usual in her blue-and-yellow striped robe.  She had to admit that it would be interesting to go to Dareial, one of the few planets she hadn't seen, but she would've much preferred to go there under different circumstances.

She still remembered the conversation with Washyuu that had started her down this road.

*

_"What's the deal, mom?" asked Ryoko._

_Washyuu grinned.  "I hear Kyrin's decided to go back home."_

_"There's nothing wrong with that, is there?"_

_"Wow.  You really don't watch the news at all, do you?"_

_"Ever since the bounty on my head went away, I've never really had to."_

_"All right then.  You remember that 'never-ending-civil-war-scenario-that-was-and-is-and-shall-be-until-the-end-of-time' thing that was going on there?"_

_"Yeah.  How many thousands of years?"_

_"Almost since the beginning of their history, which stretches back considerably, almost the beginnings of space travel 30,000 years ago."_

_Ryoko gave a low whistle.  "And I thought _I_ held a grudge."_

_"Well, for no apparent reason at all, it's ended.  The media has spent a lot of time paying praises to the powers of peace, but I don't buy it.  Thirty millennia of aggression don't just disappear in thirty days."_

_"That's true.  Do you think your Friend was involved?"_

_"I don't think so.  He would've told me if He were."  She grinned impishly.  "That's one of the benefits of being an multidimensional being, you know."_

_"I guess.  So, what do you want me to do?"_

_"I want you to ascertain the truth.  I want to hear what the media isn't telling us."_

_"OK, then.  I guess I'm on it."  She heard a strange noise and turned to see Senbo rocking back and forth in front of his screen muttering to himself.  "Um… shouldn't we be a little worried about him?"_

_"Don't worry, Ryoko-chan.  He's very good at what he does."_

*

"So why exactly is it that you're planning on going back to your home planet?" asked Ryoko, drawn out of her reverie.

"Well, it'd be nice to go back home, now that we know I'm not quite so crazy anymore," said Kyrin.  "Also, I… well…."

"Go on."

"It's just…" he sighed.  "It's just that… well, now that the war's over, I really have no earthly idea what I'm supposed to do.  I want to go back and see my folks again."

"I see.  Well, no problems with that.  Let's go ahead and get going already!"

***

The Grand Marshal gazed out over the balcony view of the headquarters' interior.  Like the interior of a geode, a thousand little lights shone out of the darkness that came with the general shutdown of the base.

He sighed as he turned and walked back into his modest bedchamber.  The balcony view had been the only opulence he'd allowed himself, but he had to admit it was a fine view.

As he lowered himself to bed, he felt his bones creaking.  A part of his mind began wondering if he should retire soon.

As he stared up into the blackness of the ceiling, his attention was suddenly caught by the red dot on the wall that was moving toward him with terrible purpose.

***

For the third time that night, Funaho replayed the data disk that had been handed to her by the agent that day.  She'd had to hand it to him – very well done with the delivery.

"This is addressed to my superior," said Genjo.  A clever line, since that would mean that at least she could maintain some veil of anonymity.

"I have successfully inserted myself into the GP Headquarters.  As per instructions, I have taken a low-profile job and have successfully integrated into the workings of the GP.  More data will be forthcoming as time allows.  Out."

Funaho sighed in relief.  She had a feeling that the Grand Marshal would be placing insurgents of their own inside Jurai borders, but maybe a little benign intelligence gathering would root them out.  Afterwards, they could talk and maybe release some of the tension that had been building.

Suddenly, a purposefully nondescript agent ran in.  "Dude!" he screeched.  "Like, get the news goin' or somethin'!  There's been, like, an assassination attempt or somethin', man!"

Frowning, Funaho tapped a few buttons and a screen popped into existence in front of her.  The Galactic News Network logo flashed across the screen, followed by some fairly attractive female news anchor.

"Thank you for tuning in to GNN," said the anchor.  "For those of you just tuning in, we have been covering the assassination attempt on Galaxy Police Grand Marshal Kuramitsu.  The attempt came at approximately 21:19, Jurai Standard Time.  According to our latest reports, the assassin made the attempt just as the Grand Marshal was turning in for the night.  We take you now to the press conference."

Funaho watched as the scene shifted to a stateroom of some kind.  The GP rep was already talking.  "… And as we stated earlier, all evidence points to a Juraian plot of some kind.  As you have seen on the footage, the assassin is wearing a janitorial uniform and is using a modified Juraian beam staff.  Juraian spies are notorious for infiltrating the lowest areas, at least organizationally, and sneaking past defenses to attain information, or whatever suits them."

"Yeah, great, just blow our methods," snarled an operative, who was shushed by another.

Funaho looked very carefully at the footage.  The assassin did look familiar… but no.  Genjo wouldn't have taken such drastic steps unless ordered to, and this hadn't been part of the plan.

"All right," said Funaho.  "In the next few hours we are going to be asked for a statement.  I'll go to work on that.  In the meantime, I want the Jurai spy network to begin ascertaining the current deployments of every fleet the GP has.  I want location, composition, position relative to Jurai holdings, and possible deployment scenarios."

As the spies scurried about their work, Funaho tapped another button on the arm of her control chair and a screen popped up in front of her.  "Yes, milady?" asked the officer.

"I need somebody down there to get a hold of Genjo and find out just what in the name of Tsunami is going on here."

"Yes, milady," intoned the officer, and the screen disappeared.

Funaho, leaning back in the chair, steepled her fingers thoughtfully.  What did this new development entail, she wondered.

***

Tenchi stretched out his arms.  The sun was setting on the hills of Okayama.  There was almost no breeze, and the pink liberally applied against the oncoming purple backdrop created a stunning effect.

He sighed contentedly.  "Everything's so peaceful," he said.

***

Kishi: Or is it?

::turns around to leave in a dramatic fashion, but overdoes it and spins too quickly, so that he sits down in the grip of a dizzy spell::

Tenchi Muyo and all related paraphernalia are copyrighted to Masaki Kojishima, and distributed by AIC and Pioneer.

The only things that are mine are those things that I perceive as original, and thusly are mine.  If you recognize an idea that you came up with first, all credit goes to you.

You can contact me at: kurisutokishi@aol.com.


	3. Chapter 3

Kishi: There is probably a very good reason as to why I didn't update this thing a while back. Unfortunately, there isn't really one, unless you count family trips, college preparations and that sort of thing.

---

Kaibyaku Muyo!

Chapter 3

---

The hours immediately following the assassination attempt on the Grand Marshal had been hectic at best. Hospital staff had been scrambled immediately to action, and security staff had been called up to recheck all the entrances and exits. The rest of the GPs were fair game for drafting by the security staff, but it wasn't as though they objected.

There were, however, two who walked through the sentient seas of chaos that roared around them, trench coats giving them the look of investigators. They were both insanely handsome men, one with blonde hair, bright blue eyes and dazzling white teeth. The other, with long dark hair, dreamy green eyes, and a tanned complexion, was shaking his head in exasperation.

"I can't believe you used a laser scope."

"It got the job done, didn't it?"

"Maybe, but it's way too easy to track! I swear, someday your flair for the dramatic is going to kill us."

"Perhaps. In the meantime, however, we have accomplished what we set out to do. Let's report back and see if we can get some leave time for once."

The dark-haired one nodded. "That'd be good. I'd love to have some time to myself for a little while. Just one seduction is all I'm asking for."

The blonde shook his head. "You're too easy."

They laughed, as if at a private joke and continued walking, passing orderlies as they strove to separate from any place with too much traffic. Their walking took them further and further out, to the very outer fringes of the station. Around them existed the results of their handiwork – shaken officers, working to restore order and professionalism, the gossips who had nothing better to do than spread rumors and brew conspiracy, and the occasional poor rookie whose nerves were just shot.

They nodded to any who met their glances, but theirs weren't nods of commiseration but of satisfaction. It always felt good to see the effects of a job well done.

They finally reached a place in the station not swarming with people. The blonde one pulled from the folds of his trench coat what appeared to be a scalpel. Looking about once more to make sure there was no one else around, he reached out into the air. Then he brought the scalpel down through the air.

The air, for its part, offered as little resistance as had been expected, and the hole in space/time was sliced without a hitch. He didn't finish the cut until he had carved a big enough hole for them to step through, leaving a gap in reality nearly seven and a half feet tall. The blonde stepped aside and gestured for the dark haired one to go first. Then, grinning, he stepped through himself and the hole vanished, with no trace that it was ever there.

---

The weather was warm and sunny, with just the right amount of clouds to keep the sun from becoming oppressive. To eyes that hadn't seen the place in over a decade, Okayama presented something of a sight for sore eyes.

Achika sighed contentedly as she walked alongside Nobuyuki. She had had her looks altered by Washyuu to make her eyes the traditional brown, her features a little more rounded, her stature just a little taller. The silvery pendant that made all this possible dangled on a chain that disappeared down the white t-shirt she was wearing.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" asked Nobuyuki.

"It has," she replied. "I don't know if I hardly recognize half the place any more."

"Yeah," he said. "This town underwent a big boom when Internet technology became the next big thing. It's just big enough to accommodate lots of people at once without being crowded. So, naturally, lots of office buildings had to be built."

"I see," she said. "Good years for you, if I remember right…"

"Yep," he said. "That year was when Ryoko and everyone else arrived."

She smiled. "Is the school still up?"

"It was," said Nobuyuki. "Then Tenchi and Ryoko had it out with each other and half the school paid the price."

Achika giggled. "Please tell me it was the science department. Old Amatsuki deserved it."

"Yeah, chemistry was never one of your favorites, was it?"

"It was one of my favorites," she sniffed indignantly. "It's just that the teacher had it in for me. He made all that stuff up about ionic bonding and electrolysis."

"Aw, he wasn't that bad…"

"Oh, you couldn't tell. You had all that math know-how at your fingertips. Chemistry was a breeze for you."

Nobuyuki grinned abashedly and nervously scratched the back of his head. "I wasn't anything special."

Achika stopped right then. He turned to look back at her as she looked up into his eyes. "You were always something special," she said. "And trust me," she said, winking, "you still are."

Nobuyuki grinned, again abashed. They continued their walk, this time with hands always on the verge of touching.

-

"Whew! This house doesn't take care of itself very well, does it?"

"No Sasami, I don't believe it does."

Two members of a royal family from a planet far, far away looked at a room in rebellion. Whilst out on leave-taking to save an empire, they had neglected what was quite possibly the most important of their tasks – house keeping. In the months that had passed, a fine sprinkling of dust had taken residence on the upholstery. Empty sake bottles lay haphazardly in a corner by the stairs. The signs that fifty-some-odd people had occupied this space announced their combined presence clearly enough.

Aeka sighed. "I suppose it's our turn now."

"Yeah. I'll go ahead and take care of vacuuming."

"All right. I'll take care of the dusting then, if I may."

"No problem!" said Sasami as she dug around in the newly ordinary closet for a vacuum. Washyuu had lately been tied up in her lab working feverishly on her latest project. Having an assistant helped out a lot, she said, but it was difficult enough to almost make the advantage of an extra brain worthless.

Aeka peered in over the shoulder of her sister and saw the duster-staff, a training tool courtesy of her brother. She smiled, murmuring, "I should probably practice footwork today."

"Mm?" Sasami questioned, then noticed the staff and smiled knowingly. "All right, then!" she said. "Let's get to work!"

-

_Strike. Pull. Plant. Strike. Pull. Plant._ The mantra of menial farm labor echoed throughout Tenchi's head as he performed what the mantra demanded. Strike the hoe into the ground. Pull aside the dirt. Plant the carrot seeds, resetting the dirt in so doing.

He heaved a sigh and wiped his brow. He supposed that the heat of the day would've been more bearable had he been involved with anything but chores, but today's events had been decided before he even landed.

He looked out over the vegetables of his labor. Row after row, field after field filled with orange and green things. All in all, the crops had held together as well as could be expected. He grinned at the possibility that he could maybe keep ahead of Ryo-Oh-Ki's ravenous appetite, which led to thoughts of Ryoko, which led to thoughts of her travels to Kyrin's planet, which led to worry.

He shrugged the kinks out of his shoulders and went back to work, but he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something wrong waiting for them.

-

The hills shone with vibrant radiance in the bright summer sun. Katsuhito looked, and was content. However, in the back of his mind, he felt stirrings of emotion among the trees. He frowned. _Something's changed since we left_.

---

"So, how's the Grand Marshal holding up?"

"They say he's stabilized for the moment. He took more than one shot, so that much is a miracle."

"Really? I'd heard that his injuries were actually very minor."

"Please. Assassins don't screw up like that."

"No, see, 'cuz I'd heard that he saw a laser sight coming toward him and rolled away at the last minute."

"I don't think so. The latest news is that he's suffered some sort of major head trauma and—" the woman stopped, her eyes narrowing by the slightest fraction. There, sweeping along the floor, as though he had every right to be there (which he ostensibly did), was a janitor. "Let's go ahead and move elsewhere, shall we?"

Her boyfriend nodded in assent and they walked off.

Genjo cursed beneath his breath. Ever since that press release, everyone had avoided him as if he were the foulest evil. The few times he had gotten close enough to hear anything, it had been the same old stuff over and over – rumors of Kuramitsu's condition and whether or not the janitors should all be placed on house arrest.

He shook his head. It was supposed to be simple. Get in, get a job, stick his ears where only janitors could, and relay the information back to headquarters on Jurai. Simple. Easy. It was supposed to be child's play. It had been Funaho's idea of a reward for his efforts, a break from the endless tensions of the Siege.

Now, of course, all the variables had decided to change. Now, the proverbial Elder Sibling had awakened, suspicion in its heart, its eyes watchful for any and all deceit. He was subjected to rigorous background checks once a week, at least. He was sure that his records would hold through for perhaps a month or so, but he couldn't be sure about how they'd hold if they invaded his personal quarters. He'd already heard horror stories from fellow custodians as the authorities disregarded the right to privacy in their search for the assassin.

He shook his head as the sweeper finished making the room spotless. His cover wasn't going to hold at this rate. They'd started roughly seven tenths of the station away from his neighborhood, but there were plenty of raw recruits who would be eager to report a strange sanitation man.

_I'll have to check with Funaho about this, first opportunity_, he thought. _I'm no coward, but only a fool waits to be caught._

---

In the great expanse of light-pierced night, there existed a ship made of what appeared to be so many crystals. On top of the pink crystal that appeared to be the core, there were two people who, despite their inestimable mutual esteem, had accepted as their sacred duty the task of beating the other into a pulp.

Kyrin blocked the incoming kick with both arms, but that still didn't stop him from flying sideways. He rolled, came up, met Ryoko's fist with a deflection that snaked his arm around hers, pushed it aside, allowed him room to drive an uppercut into her side.

She was driven away, but she spun, her hand knife-like as it chopped at his neck. He stopped this one as well, receiving a roundhouse to his left side for his troubles. However, she didn't pull away fast enough. He grabbed it in the crook of his left arm, slid himself around her, took a shot to the chest, then lifter her leg higher than it was meant to go. She recovered from this as well, though, and rolled.

They stood, roughly a pace and a half apart, breathing heavily. They'd been fighting all-out for roughly an hour and a half. They were both dressed in practice gi that Kyrin had insisted on picking up for this purpose.

She knew Kyrin had taken several good hits, particularly in the body, but he seemed almost unflappable. She also knew that she had taken her own share, but the ache was distant in her mind. All that she needed to focus on was right in front of her – let her pains be dealt with later.

Kyrin sighed as if he were readying himself for another attack, and she narrowed her eyes in focus, when suddenly he held out a hand. "I think enough is enough," he said.

"Are you sure?" Ryoko asked. "We could keep going, I'm not tired."

Kyrin smiled wanly as he said, "I don't imagine you are. I, on the other hand, am bone weary."

Ryoko frowned. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," he said, "I think I am. Remember – you're a strong girl, for your age." He grinned.

She grinned back. "Well, thanks. I guess I really am pretty young at 2,000 or so. How old are you again?"

He looked up in thought as they sat down. "Wow… it's been a while, but I think I'm somewhere in the neighborhood of about…" he mimicked counting on his fingers, "2,761 years old."

"Wow, mister!" marveled Ryoko in a childish voice. "You're _old_!"

"Well gee," he deadpanned, "thanks."

"But seriously," she said. "You aren't a Juraian, so you shouldn't have lived anywhere near as long as you have, unless the Dareis have access to the Juraian trees?"

"That's actually one of the weird parts of our physiology," he said. "We don't age like the other races do. We hit a point wherein we're at our physical prime and, almost over night, we stop aging physically."

"And it's purely biological?"

"Yep."

"Wow. I bet Mom would be interested in that."

"I suppose she would. After all, she stopped aging because she isn't a totally natural being."

"Yeah." She heaved a sigh and stretched. "Well, if that's all, guess there's no need to wear this anymore." She casually undid the gi jacket, exposing the white undershirt that Kyrin had insisted she wear. But they _had_ been pushing themselves to their physical limits, so the sweat of her exertions made the shirt just a little clingier than it was meant to be.

She turned to look at him when Kyrin made an odd noise, as if someone had wrapped their hands around his throat and squeezed suddenly. She turned to look at him, shocked to see that he was blushing as if she weren't wearing anything at all.

"What?" she asked. "I know you've seen me with less than this."

It was true. Surely he remembered. But when he looked as if he were going to explain himself, he, shut his mouth and shook his head.

"I don't know," he mumbled. "There's some sort of novelty in this moment that I just don't understand." He shook his head again and bowed, putting fist to palm in salute.

As he walked away, Ryoko sighed. Kyrin hadn't been acting like he used to at all. The old Kyrin had been a vigorous, wizened warrior who abstained from alcohol and made every attempt to be near her when he could, yet never asking for any sort of commitment aside from her friendship.

This one, however, was proving to be a different animal. True, he was still vigorous, still wizened, but now he maintained himself in distance from her. It had been that way the entire trip so far. He always listened whenever she talked to him, offered commentary when it was called for, trained as hard as she could possibly want him to.

Yet, try as she might, she couldn't reconcile this Kyrin with the one who had professed to being in love with her. Something just seemed different. It was almost as if, when Kain left him, a key piece of him had been removed and replaced by something else. She just couldn't put her finger on what exactly it was.

She took another step and gasped. Suddenly, without the heat of the duel and the adrenaline surging in her system, she felt the extent of every blow she had taken. She took another step and grimaced, sitting down rather heavily.

She suddenly heard a weight settle right behind her. "Are you all right?" asked Kyrin.

"Yeah, just fine," she grated out. She wasn't angry, she just felt the pain a little too well.

"Doesn't seem that way to me," he said.

She suddenly felt two hands on her back. "What are you--"

"Please be quiet," he said. "This requires concentration." She decided to trust him and so sat quietly. At first, there was nothing, but as she sat there, a warmth began to spread through her body from his hands. It wasn't that feverish heat that came from physical exertion, but something gentler, something that touched every injury and brought relief. She couldn't help but be amazed as it washed through her, leaving her feeling awake and energized.

Finally, he removed his hands from her and stood up. She sprung and spun to face him. "What was that?" she asked.

He shrugged. "It's qi. All I did was tell the qi in your body to recirculate a little faster to bring more energy to bear in tending to your injuries."

She growled. "I still haven't figured out how to do that yet."

Kyrin smiled. "Well, maybe we can work on that next time."

"Maybe," she said.

---

_And behold_, thought Washyuu, _ye shall be as gods_. She'd run that quote by Senbo once or twice, and couldn't believe how nuts it drove him. Senbo's difficulties with the number had been fairly entertaining, but finally she suggested he input the number into the equation.

He'd sighed, shaken his head as if there was no way it could work, but input the number and transmitted the equation. The look on his face had been priceless when subspace responded with a brilliant flash of light.

_"So what do you think about the interconnection of all things now?"_

He'd stared long and hard, running the math over and over in his head by the look on his face, then finally sighed. _"I must've slept through a lecture in quantum physics. Must've missed the lesson on interconnection."_

She'd only shaken her head and set him to work on the next step of the experiment. Looping from the home dimension into subspace (where she and her lab were) and back into the home dimension was fairly easy. The mathematics didn't change at all, unless one was trying to rematerialize at a different point in the dimension from which they entered.

On the other hand, figuring out the numbers for a different dimension was another beast altogether. Each number in the equation was, in fact, the result of a different equation, each one designed to answer a single 'question.' There was an equation to answer the question of the dimension's 'location,' another to create a point in the dimension for entry, and the equation of the portal itself. In all reality, it was very similar to tuning a radio to find a signal, except that instead of a machine doing it for them they had to figure the math all by themselves.

His only real facial reaction upon the receipt of the instructions was the slightest grimace, as though he were enduring a twinge of pain. He'd then suggested that she make a device that could figure the numbers and plug the equations into subspace.

The idea had merit. So she told him to design the machine and bring it back to her for critiquing. If the design was sound, she'd make it.

That had been an hour or so ago, and now when she snuck peeks at him to monitor his progress he would be staring at the screen intently, talking to himself in what seemed a long whispered breath, rocking himself back and forth, sporadically typing rapidly when a breakthrough came.

She sighed. The resemblance between the young man and the young woman she used to be was apparent. She could hardly remember all the nights she stayed up, staring at a computer screen, trying to translate an idea she had into numbers or text to make the computer understand and comply with her wishes.

Still, without the machine to work on, it left her with nothing but time to catch up with the news she'd been missing out on.

Opening the file on the computer, she watched Funaho's face appear on the screen. She cleared her throat and began, "Good evening. At 21:19, Jurai Standard Time, there was an assassination attempt against the Grand Marshal of the Galaxy Police. As of now, there has been no release as to his condition."

She continued to at least appear levelheaded as she continued, "The news of the attempt brings grief on the personal level for I, the Royal Family, and indeed the entirety of our Empire. On our behalf, I extend condolences, and our prayers for his recovery. As well, for the sake of closure, we add this: we have not now, nor have we ever, employed spies for the purpose of sabotage or assassination against the Galaxy Police. However, we have, unfortunately, been unable to stop the leakage of our tools and weapons to the black market. It is entirely possible for a rogue system or federation to procure the items used by the assassin on the black market. We, who have been staunch friends and supporters of the Galaxy Police since their creation, have no reason for such underhanded trickery. In closing, I promise the full support of the Empire in aiding the Galaxy Police in the capture of this criminal, who has besmirched our honor and caused our allies so much grief. Thank you." The screen faded.

She moved on to the next clip, the GP response. "The Galaxy Police appreciate the aid offered by the Juraian Empire," said the representative. "All aid and good sentiments are appreciated during this time of trial. However, the Galaxy Police are in no need of aid at this time, feeling our own security forces to be adequate for the task at hand. Thank you."

The rest of the clips chronicled a series of events that was occurring rapidly and growing more dangerous by the day. GP fleets began sweeps along all major trading routes. Ships that were suspicious were boarded and inspected. If found to contain arms and war supplies, the ships were impounded until further notice, searched thoroughly, and released, usually with the majority of the shipment disposed of. The majority of the ships impounded, she noted, were Juraian transports, usually having something to do with the Juraian efforts to rebuild their military.

She'd heard Senbo walk up to watch, so she wasn't startled when he suddenly said, "Washyuu-chan, there's something I don't understand about the actions of the GP."

"What is it?" she asked.

"It seems to me," he said slowly, as if he were unsure, "that the GPs are almost aiming to specifically hurt Jurai with this. Why are they so desperate?"

"Were you here for Funaho's press release?" asked Washyuu.

"I heard it."

"Were you paying much attention?"

"No, sense—" a baseball bat stopped an inch from connecting with his head. "No, I didn't."

"Well, Funaho said they hadn't any spies for the purpose of sabotage or assassination inside the Protectorate."

"Isn't her word good enough for them?"

"She does strive for honesty," replied Washyuu, "but the GPs are listening to what she _didn't_ say. She never said anything about spies being inside for intelligence gathering purposes. Also, she said that weapons can get to the black market, and entirely possible for rogue entities to use them, but she never confirmed it, except to deny that Jurai hadn't any part in it."

"What does this have to do with the GP's actions?"

"They basically think that the Empire's trying to fool them. They figure that Funaho is using her honesty to create a false impression, since they can't figure out which parts she's telling the truth about and which parts she's lying about. Therefore, they've decided to act in as defensive a way as possible, to cover all the bases."

"But what about that honor guard to keep an eye on the princesses?" asked Senbo. "I mean, Funaho hasn't called them off, so doesn't that count for anything?"

"It might," said Washyuu doubtfully. "It's hard to say, though. That sort of gesture may prove to be a double-edged sword."

---

"I trust that the results of the assassination are to your liking?"

"They are adequate for the task at hand."

"Indeed. With two of the dominant powers in the galaxy squaring off, all the other nations are bound to keep their attentions focused on them – thus, we will be able to move with near perfect impunity."

The meeting place was a dark room, the details of which were obscured by the lack of light. If the table of the meeting was any indication, it was a long room, possibly rectangular. The table itself was a source of light, but it was dim, serving only to illuminate the silhouettes of the meeting's attendees. Not even their features could be brought to light.

"How are preparations for the Crusade proceeding?"

"On schedule. We should be ready within two standard months."

"Excellent. It seems that everything is well in hand."

---

He had to make sure Ryoko wasn't looking before he could make his move, but eventually she had drifted off to a sound slumber.

Kyrin nodded, satisfied. "Ah, Ryo-Oh-Ki?"

A meow answered him. "Are you capable of materializing blocks of crystal?"

A meow to the affirmative. "If I were to use these blocks for training purposes, would it be painful or harmful to you?"

A meow to the negative. "Good. How many can you make?"

A pause, then a meow. "Whoa, I don't need that much. How does ten sound, approximately 6 feet tall and 3 feet thick?"

The crystals appeared in response. "Thank you!"

Checking to make sure that they were all jammed together, Kyrin squared up on the front one and set himself. He brought his fist forward in a twisting motion, slowly, hitting the same point on the crystals over and over again.

There'd been a time, once, when he'd been able to break through 10 crystals of such strength and density as those here. But ever since Kain had been separated from him, something seemed different about his strength.

He grimaced. _This should prove an adequate test._

Three more warm ups. _Here goes nothing._

Concentrating, bringing all thought to stillness, all emotion to void, he struck.

---

Kishi: I meant for there to be more updates throughout the summer, but of course, as soon as I get any time it all just disappears in family engagements and university preparations. Just wonderful.

Tenchi Muyo and all related paraphernalia are copyrighted to Masaki Kojishima, and distributed by AIC and Pioneer.

The only things that are mine are those things that I perceive as original, and thusly are mine. If you recognize an idea that you came up with first, all credit goes to you.

These days, it's a toss-up as to where anyone can contact me, but there should be an e-mail address in my profile…


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